Andhra’s AI-facial recognition is ending the era of ‘proxy attendance’ for MLAs
On Wednesday, the Assembly debuted its Artificial Intelligence-based attendance system — the first legislature in the country to do so.
The digital system will record MLAs’ attendance only if they are in the House and seated. Legislature Secretariat officials said members who do not attend a minimum of 60 days could face disqualification. The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Complex has gone where no other legislature in India has. On Wednesday, the Assembly debuted its Artificial Intelligence-based attendance system — the first legislature in the country to do so.
On the first day of the state’s Budget Session, the attendance roster was missing. Instead, Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu introduced an AI facial recognition system that would record attendance “only when members are seated in their places”, he said.
This comes as Parliament is considering a similar system, and as the Chandrababu Naidu-led government accuses rival YSR Congress Party — and its chief Jagan Mohan Reddy — of not attending the legislature.
Announcing the initiative, Speaker Patrudu said that in the past some members would “simply sign in the register and leave”.
The digital system will record MLAs’ attendance only if they are in the House and seated. Legislature Secretariat officials said members who do not attend a minimum of 60 days could face disqualification.
The Budget Session began with Governor Abdul Nazeer’s address. While YSRCP’s 11 MLAs — including former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy — attended, officials claimed the AI-based system showed they “spent less than 10 minutes inside the Assembly”.
Ruling coalition partners Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party have been accusing YSRCP — which is demanding recognition as the Opposition — of not attending proceedings. Previous sessions have seen YSRCP protests and walkouts over the demand.
Meanwhile, Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh Naidu met Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan in the Assembly for the Business Advisory Committee meeting after the Governor’s speech.
The BAC has decided that the Budget discussion will take place on March 14.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and former YSRCP minister Botsa Satyanarayana said the party would continue to push for recognition as the Opposition. The party has been denied recognition, citing the Constitution and Assembly rules that mandate at least 10 per cent of the state’s 175 Assembly seats.
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